Advertising demonstration device



April 4, 1939. P. cRosLEY, JR

ADVERTISING DEMONSTRATION DEVICE Filed Nov. 27. 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet lvINVENTOR. Pon/EL @Rasur-5 Je.

ATTORNEYS,

April 4, 1939. P. cRosLEY, JR

ADVERTISING DEMONS TRATION DEVl CE' Filed Nov. 27, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2EIGL. /4

INVENTOR.

MCP@

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 4, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE The Crosley OhioCorporation, a corporation of Application November 27, 1936, Serial No.112,966

5 Claims.

My invention relates to devices of relatively low cost Afor presentinggraphic demonstration of qualities and capabilities of manufacturedarticles. For the purpose of a specific disclosure herein, I shalldescribe a particular exemplary embodiment of my invention, it beingunderstood that this is not a limitation thereon, and that it will bewithin the skill of the man in the art, in the light of my teachings, toadapt the device to the solution of similar problems in connection withdiierent manufactured articles.

There is on the market today a type of domestic electric refrigerator,having the usual shelves in the food compartment, but also having aseries of shelves attached to the door. The insulated door is domed outto accept these latter shelves, so that no space for them is taken fromthe food compartment proper. The shelves in the door not only serve toaccept and retain a Wide variety of the less bulky articles normallykept in a refrigerator, but present these articles in a position ofconvenient, ready and rapid access when they are needed. The various.articles are, moreover, individually available without rearrangement.Further, the number of such articles, held in the door, is such as wouldoccupy a surprisingly great area of the normal shelf space in the foodcompartment proper. This can be understood when it is remembered thatthe greater number of such small articles are not capable o-f beingstacked and therefore occupy a great horizontal area of shelf space, butrelatively little vertical space. Nevertheless the actual percentage ofShelf space saved is quite surprising especially in view of the visualimpression which the compact shelves in the door give. It is quitediicult to explain this in words in such a way as to make an attentiongetting presentation, and hitherto, for a full appreciation of thecapabilities of the device an actual demonstration with a full sizedrefrigerator and a number of articles to be placed therein has beennecessary. An actual demonstration as an attention getting display is,of

a course, not always possible or economical. As

has been indicated above, it is a fundamental object of my invention toprovide a device of relatively low cost for the graphic demonstration ofthese qualities.

The more specific objects of my invention will be apparent from whatfollows: and I achieve the several objects by that certain constructionand arrangement of parts of which I shall now describe the aforesaidexemplary embodiment.

Reference is made to thedrawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the device with the movable member in oneposition.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view with the movable 5 member in thealternative position.

Fig. 4 is a semi-diagrammatic View of an operating and indicatingmechanism.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view, fragmentary, showing one part of anexemplary hinge mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a sectional View of the cooperating part of the hingemechanism.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of another form of hinge construction.

In the particular exemplary embodiment of my invention to which I havereferred, I provide a large panel, indicated generally at I, and meansto hold this panel in display position. Such means may be an easelmember, of conventional formation, such as that indicated generally at 2in Fig. 1; but it is obvious that any suitable supporting means may beused. A consideration of Figs. 2 and 3 will showv that I place upon thepanel a representation of a refrigerator with the doo-r open. The sizeof the panel and the pictorial representation thereon may bev dictatedby convenience and consideration of the effect desired. In actualpractice I make the'panel large enough to display a refrigerator fullsize.

To theleft in Fig.*2, I have indicated the body of the representation ofthe refrigerator at 3, the food compartment at 4, an evaporator at 5 andvarious shelves 6 in the food compartment. The panel I is preferably,though not necessarily cut out around the edges of the representation ofthe refrigerator as shown.

The door of the refrigerator, as depicted on the panel is open, and isindicated at 'I in Fig. 3. This is merely represented on the right halfof the panel; and while the panel may, if desired, be 40 cut away aboutthe representation of the. door, I prefer not to do this butto leaveabove and below the door, as at 8 and 9, spaces for advertising,descriptive or explanatory matter. The door is shown as recessed andcontaining a shelf structure indicated generally at I. It will beAnoticed that the interior of the food compartment, and the shelves inthe door, as depicted on the main panel I, are both empty. 1

A supplementary panel II of a size and shape corresponding to the sizeand shape of the representation of the door 'I in Figure 3 is hinged tothe main panel I along the line of thev door hinges in therepresentation. A convenient and inexpensive way of doing this is shownin section in Figure 7 where the main panel is slotted along the hingeline as at I2, and a hinge strip I3 Which may be of stout paper, cloth,leather or the like is attached, as by cementing, tothe supplementarypanel II, is passed through the slot I2 and is fastened to the back ofthe panel I. 'Ihistype of hinge is adequate where the device is to beused as a demonstration means by a salesman, or for self-instruction bya prospective purchaser. Where the demonstration device is to bemechanically operated over long periods of time, a diiferent type ofhinge, such for example as that hereinafter to be described, ispreferred. Whatever type of hinge is employed, will permit thesupplementary panel II to be swung against the main panel I either tothe right or to the left as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

In the exemplary embodiment ofv my invention which I am describing, thesupplementary panel I I is adapted to cover either the face of the foodcompartment when swung to the left as Yshown in Fig. 3, or the door whenswung to the right as shown in Fig. 2. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 2, Irepresent on one side of itrthe door I with the shelves I0 filled withthe normal small articles to be found in refrigerators, such as eggs I4,tomatoes I5, a carton of butterV I 6, lemons I1 and the like. Thearticles are well displayed, life size when the refrigerator is fullsize, and can readily be recognized for what they are and counted. Thevarious representations can, if desired, be reproduced from photographsof therefrigerator itself with and .without articles therein. On theotherside of the supplementary panel II, as shown in Fig. 3, I representthe food compartment 4, the evaporator 5, the shelves 6. In

lthis instance, however, the food compartment shelves, instead of beingempty contain various articles. In the exemplaryembodiment, because onepurpose is to show how much of the shelf area in the foodcompartmentwould be taken up by the articles which can be held in the shelves onthe door, it is essential that the articles shown on the foodcompartment shelves be the same articles as shown on the door shelves inFigure 2,' and recognizable as such in kind and quantity.

Preferably, the observer will be able to identify and count the severalarticles.

It will now be clear that with the supplementary panel swungto theposition shown in Fig.'2, the observer1 is given a graphic and strikingrepresentation of the refrigerator with the food compartment empty andthe shelves of the door lled with articles. He can see not only thelarge number of articles which can be placed in the shelves on the door,but also can see the way in which the articles are presented for readyand convenient access. With the supplementary panel swung to theposition shown in Fig. 5, the observer can see what the condition iswhen the same articles are taken from the shelves on the door and areplaced o-n the shelves in the food compartment. The spaces 8 and 9 canbe employed either for display or for explanatory legends concerning thedemonstration. The demonstration itself is as simple and rapid as theswinging ofthe supplementary panel, and is as readily understandable asa demonstration by an ope-ratork would be, while consuming much lesstime and involving, of course, much less cost. While I have described mydemonstration device as constructed for afspecic purpose, it willreadily be understood that the invention can be adapted to thedemonstration of different qualities and.V

advantageous to have the demonstration carried on repetitively bymachinery. In thisv event a more durable type of hinge construction isadvantageous, and I have illustrated one such hinge construction inFigures 4, 5 and 6. Here the supplementary panel I I has a bifurcated,metallic hinge part I8 attached to it. as by rivets I9. Thehinge partengages a pintle 20. The panel I has riveted on its underside, as at 24,ametal piece ZI, a portion 23 of which extends through a slot in thepanel I, and is bent as at 22 to engage the pintle 20. The dispositionof these parts is shown to advantage in Fig. 3. If the hinge members I8non-rotatably engage the pintle 20, it is possible, by attaching a gear25 to the pintle (which gear extends through a perforation 26 in thepanel I), to drive the supplementary panel I I so as to swing it fromone position to the other as by means of a meshing gear, a rack or thelike.

I have shown an exemplary driving mechanism in Fig. 4. Here a'motor 26mounted on a suitable support 21 drives a speed-reducing gear train 28by means of a worm 29. On the driven shaft 30 of the gear train there ismounted a crank 3|. This is connected by means of a link 32 to a rockermember 33, pivoted as at 34 tothe frame and having teeth 35 meshing withthe teeth of the gear or pinion 25 on the pintle 20. The link 32 ispreferably either made resilient as shown or is provided Withrlostmotion means. The rocker is so related to the crank that the rotarymotion of thelatter produces a rocking motion in the former whereby thesupplementary panel I I is swung back and forth slowly between itsalternative positions. Power leads 39 and 43, controlled by a switchsupply current to the motor.

Where different legends on the space 8, for example, have to doA withthe positions of the supplementary panel II, it is advantageous to havemeans for calling attention to the Alegends selectively as determined bythe position of the panel. This may be accomplished by locatingindicating lamps or other indicating devices 4I) and 4I adjacent thelegends and actuating the devices in accordance with movements of thepanel. Means for this is indicated in Figure 4, where the rocker arm hasan actuator finger 36 adapted selectively to operate switches 37 and 38.The switch 38 is in series in the circuit 42 of the indicator 4B. Theswitch 37 is in series in the circuit 44 of the indicator 4I.

It will be understood that the indicating mechanism, while of especialutility in connection with the automatic operation of the device, is ofinterest also when the device is hand operated. The contact actuatingmechanism can therefore be retained even though the motor, gearreduction, lever and link be eliminated. Equivalent apparatus both forthe mechanical operating means and the indicating means may o-f coursebe used.

Modifications may be made in my invention without departing from thespirit thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described, a main panel, arepresentation of a refrigerator with its door open located onsubstantially half of said panel, and a representation of a closure forsaid cabinet located on the other half of said panel, a supplementarypanel hinged to said main panel substantially at the meeting line of theaforementioned representations, and bearing on its surfaces respectivelyrepresentations of a portion of said cabinet and of said closure, suchthat when said supplementary panel is swung against said cabinet itappears to form a part thereof, and when swung against said closurerepresents said closure, the representations on said supplementary paneldiffering from those on the main panel so as to demonstrate differingconditions of use or non-use, and in which the main panel bearsalternative legends, and indicating means for said legends, and in whichoperating means for said indicating means are provided for actuation inconnection with movements of said supp-lementary panel and havingmechanical means for moving said supplementary panel to alternativepositions in a predetermined cycle, and means in connection therewithfor automatically operating said indicating means.

2. In a device of the character described, a main panel and asupplementary panel hinged thereto substantially centrally, said mainpanel bearing a representation of a device having two cooperating parts,the representation of said parts lying respectively on either side ofthe hinge line, said supplementary panel bearing on its facesrespectively representations of said parts, whereby when saidsupplementary panel is swung in one direction against said main panel itforms a portion of the representation of one of said parts thereon, andof the other of said parts thereon when swung in the other direction,the representations of said parts on said main and said supplementarypanels differing from each other so that the alternative positions ofsaid supplementary panel indicate different conditions of the device,said main panel also bearing alternative legends, and having actuatableindicating means for said legends, and means for actuating saidindicating means in accordance with movements of said supplementarypanel.

3. In a device of the character described, a main panel, arepresentation of a refrigerator with its door open located onsubstantially half of said panel, and a representation of a closure forsaid cabinet located on the other half of said panel, a supplementarypanel hinged to said main panel substantially at the meeting line of theaforementioned representations, and bearing on its surfaces respectivelyrepresentations of a portion of saidcabinet and of said closure, suchthat when said supplementary panel is swung against said cabinet itappears to form a part thereof,

and when swung against said closure represents said closure, therepresentations on said supple,- mentary panel differing from those 0nthe main panel so as to demonstrate differing conditions, said mainpanel bearing alternative legends, actuatable indicating means for saidlegends, and operating means for said indicating means actuated inconnection with movements of said supplementary panel.

4. In a device of the character described, a main panel, arepresentation of a refrigerator with its door open located onsubstantially half of said panel, and a representation of a closure forsaid cabinet located on the other half of said panel, a supplementarypanel hinged to said main panel substantially at the meeting line of theaforementioned representations, and bearing on its surfaces respectivelyrepresentations of a portion of said cabinet and of said closure, suchthat when said supplementary panel is swung against said cabinet itappears to form a part thereof, and when swung against said closurerepresents said closure, the representations on said supplementary paneldiffering from those on the main panel so as to demonstrate differingconditions, said main panel bearing alternative legends, actuatableindicating means for said legends, operating means for said indicatingmeans actuated in connection with movements of said supplementary panel,and mechanical means for moving said supplementary panel to alternativepositions in a predetermined cycle.

5. In a device of the character described, a main panel dividedlongitudinally into approximately equal parts, one of said parts bearinga representation of a refrigerator with its door open showing theinterior of the refrigerated compartment thereof in an empty condition,the other of said parts bearing the representation of an open door forsaid refrigerated compartment, said door being of a type adapted tocontain articles, said representation showing said door in an empltycondition, and a supplementary panel on the POWEL CROSLEY, J R,

